The present invention pertains to an intermetallic composite (IMC) evaporator boat-thermal insulation cartridge assembly useful for the evaporation of metals. More specifically, the present invention relates to an IMC evaporator boat-thermal insulation cartridge assembly evaporator boat assembly that includes an IMC evaporator boat and a thermal insulation cartridge that carries the IMC evaporator boat, and wherein the IMC evaporator boat-thermal insulation cartridge assembly is useful for the evaporation of metals in conjunction with a vacuum apparatus.
Heretofore, IMC evaporator boats have been useful to provide a container or platform on which to melt metals so as to evaporate the metals for deposition on a substrate. Exemplary patent documents that pertain to evaporator boats or other heating devices are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 2,840,458 to Hamister, U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,968 to Mandorf, U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,448 to Malkin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,996 to Montgomery, U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,803 to Shinko, U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,366 to Finicle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,149 to Finicle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,612 to Morris, U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,652 to Seifert, U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,025 to Seifert, U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,572 to Seifert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,164 to Montgomery et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication NO. US 2009/0217876 A1 to Epstein, German Offenlegungsschrift DE 10 2007 045 289 to ESK Ceramics GmBH; PCT Patent Application Publication WO 2006/117119 A1 to ESK Ceramics GmBH, and PCT Patent Application Publication NO. WO 2008/025447 A1 to ESK Ceramics GmbH.